An ever-time Mac user, when I heard of IBM's (PPC compatible?) Core work (before the Job's decision to run with Intel, at least for a while), and that they were working towards an 8 core initial release, where each core could independently or in unison capable of running an operating system independently and simultaneously , I was quite literally ecstatic (that is at least one of the less disparaging comments my mate made as I walked around hugging myself in gleeful anticipation of Mac & Penguin & 'dozer all just >thereI & when I needed any of them!)
Ans so Jobs decided on Intel.
And I stopped hugging myself.
Maybe next decade?
Jen of Bisbane
Spot on, and Mr Bernoulli established the principles some time back, as I recall. Cars on roads are just another form of particle flow.
To absolutely confirm the single twit driver effect on traffic flow in this discussion - back in the mid sixties I used to fly traffic watch for a local radio station. Once a year a tiny picturesque race track in the Adelaide hills would put on a gala race day. Every man & his dog turned up. The road into the race course was one lane each direction. From 1,500' at going home time you cwuld observe a fast flowing smooth laminar flow of rational drivers, until, that is, a single moron would decide to try travel faster than the mean speed, and pass cars ahead.
The entire traffic stream would be disrupted, with clearly visible waves of congestion expanding out in BOTH directions, forward and back.
The interesting thing was that the moron who had disrupted the flow was incredibly quickly locked up in the snarl, the snarl that he/she/it had personally caused:)
I've told that story for the last 40 years. From it I leant that if you are in a flow of traffic that appears to bogging down, the very best way to rectify things is to drop to a low gear, pick a rev/speed that seems to be about the current average traffic flow speed (even idle revs in low - but you must keep flowing/moving), and totally ignore everyone else. Within a kilometre you will see the traffic >aheadyou will be back up to speed, and you'll drag the rest of the traffic with you.
Until, of course, the next impatient moron decides to buck the flow.
I came to this item expecting, and hoping for, a serious discussion, but . ..
There have been some funny posts, but folks, this is past funny.
May I verge on a lecture? I've only recently had this penny drop, so forgive me if you are well aware.
As we've know for years, the normal CO2 range for close to the last million years has been 200 - 300 ppm. Self regulating. Longe term stable, even if between fairly wide extremes.
CO2 is now 380 ppm
That level is increasing at the rate of 2 ppm/yr
Recent evidence strongly suggests that at 440 ppm the atmosphere will cease being controlled by the current negative feedback balance of factors, and will go to a positive feedback condition.
(This situation is currently referred to by the dumbed down term 'tipping point.')
Negative feed back good - positive feedback frightening - think what happens when the local meeting PA system goes into positive feedback - now think of that noise being the atmosphere boiling off. Very rapidly. Positive feedback is just that. Positive action builds to the physical limitations of the device in very very short time.
2 ppm/yr means we have at absolute maximum 30 years before we reach 440 ppm.
20 years must be considered to be the maximum time we have to fundamentally change *everything we have and do, in most societies on this still blue earth.
I am led to believe that it will take 1,000 years for the current CO2 load to be processed by the planet, but this may be extended significantly as the load being absorbed by the ocean's creatures is half of what was previously believed. There is no easy fall back there.
My mind curdles at the unbelievable social adjustments that are necessary from this point on. Not just planting some more trees. Not just driving a smaller car. Not just holding another meeting.
Instead, please think about this. You are nerds (it says on the web-head that we are, at least.) Nerds are smart, which is why after a sleepless night calculating our (the world's) options, that I came to this site first.
Ladies & gentlemen. Please really think this one through through, and work out yourselves what actions must occur, and occur in frighteningly little time.
What are the changes required to almost eliminate CO2 emissions from the entire world in 20 years, without the most appalling social turmoil. And even if we manage this, the CO2 level will still sit at well above the stable max of 300 ppm for close to a millenia. What will be the effects of that? All we're dealing with here is trying to stop the bleeding obvious runaway.
My personal view is that we should approach the Indian nation for advice on how to live relatively comfortably while using almost no energy, as was the case there until about 10 years ago.
One cow pat is all that is required to cook a meal for a whole family, and it is the ultimate low temp slow food - absolutely delicious. Don't laugh. Cow dung is just one thing we will have to learn to use, very soon. Dust off the bikes, there can not be any private cars, but instead limited public transport.
It seems to me that the only way we the people will be able to achieve a future for our children will be for us to somehow convince all the politicians in the world to join a war-time-like coalition government, as has frequently been done in individual countries in times of stress, only this time the entire population of the earth has to take part, and focus, and effect a mind-numbing degree of change in the almost zero time available.
While the US of A is the prime (but not only) cause of the extreme CO2 load, it is also probably the only nation that has the track record of extreme management skills required to do what needs doing in the time available.
We are at war.
With ourselves, and our gross habits.
I have said for 20 years that our grandchildren are going to rain curses on our/this generation.
If you had ever lived there you'd know that a beer belly isn't a beer thing, it's a testosterone bearing person's fat reserve storage area, just as mine are on the hips.
(p.s. and most of them, certainly all that I met, are lovely people. Think total hospitality to strangers.)
Slashdot Mirror
An ever-time Mac user, when I heard of IBM's (PPC compatible?) Core work (before the Job's decision to run with Intel, at least for a while), and that they were working towards an 8 core initial release, where each core could independently or in unison capable of running an operating system independently and simultaneously , I was quite literally ecstatic (that is at least one of the less disparaging comments my mate made as I walked around hugging myself in gleeful anticipation of Mac & Penguin & 'dozer all just >thereI & when I needed any of them!) Ans so Jobs decided on Intel. And I stopped hugging myself. Maybe next decade? Jen of Bisbane
Spot on, and Mr Bernoulli established the principles some time back, as I recall. Cars on roads are just another form of particle flow.
:)
To absolutely confirm the single twit driver effect on traffic flow in this discussion - back in the mid sixties I used to fly traffic watch for a local radio station. Once a year a tiny picturesque race track in the Adelaide hills would put on a gala race day. Every man & his dog turned up. The road into the race course was one lane each direction. From 1,500' at going home time you cwuld observe a fast flowing smooth laminar flow of rational drivers, until, that is, a single moron would decide to try travel faster than the mean speed, and pass cars ahead.
The entire traffic stream would be disrupted, with clearly visible waves of congestion expanding out in BOTH directions, forward and back.
The interesting thing was that the moron who had disrupted the flow was incredibly quickly locked up in the snarl, the snarl that he/she/it had personally caused
I've told that story for the last 40 years. From it I leant that if you are in a flow of traffic that appears to bogging down, the very best way to rectify things is to drop to a low gear, pick a rev/speed that seems to be about the current average traffic flow speed (even idle revs in low - but you must keep flowing/moving), and totally ignore everyone else. Within a kilometre you will see the traffic >aheadyou will be back up to speed, and you'll drag the rest of the traffic with you.
Until, of course, the next impatient moron decides to buck the flow.
Bernoulli rules, OK?
Or should that be "Pull Up! Pull Up!"
.
I came to this item expecting, and hoping for, a serious discussion, but . .
There have been some funny posts, but folks, this is past funny.
May I verge on a lecture? I've only recently had this penny drop, so forgive me if you are well aware.
As we've know for years, the normal CO2 range for close to the last million years has been 200 - 300 ppm. Self regulating. Longe term stable, even if between fairly wide extremes.
CO2 is now 380 ppm
That level is increasing at the rate of 2 ppm/yr
Recent evidence strongly suggests that at 440 ppm the atmosphere will cease being controlled by the current negative feedback balance of factors, and will go to a positive feedback condition.
(This situation is currently referred to by the dumbed down term 'tipping point.')
Negative feed back good - positive feedback frightening - think what happens when the local meeting PA system goes into positive feedback - now think of that noise being the atmosphere boiling off. Very rapidly. Positive feedback is just that. Positive action builds to the physical limitations of the device in very very short time.
2 ppm/yr means we have at absolute maximum 30 years before we reach 440 ppm.
20 years must be considered to be the maximum time we have to fundamentally change *everything we have and do, in most societies on this still blue earth.
I am led to believe that it will take 1,000 years for the current CO2 load to be processed by the planet, but this may be extended significantly as the load being absorbed by the ocean's creatures is half of what was previously believed. There is no easy fall back there.
My mind curdles at the unbelievable social adjustments that are necessary from this point on. Not just planting some more trees. Not just driving a smaller car. Not just holding another meeting.
Instead, please think about this. You are nerds (it says on the web-head that we are, at least.) Nerds are smart, which is why after a sleepless night calculating our (the world's) options, that I came to this site first.
Ladies & gentlemen. Please really think this one through through, and work out yourselves what actions must occur, and occur in frighteningly little time.
What are the changes required to almost eliminate CO2 emissions from the entire world in 20 years, without the most appalling social turmoil. And even if we manage this, the CO2 level will still sit at well above the stable max of 300 ppm for close to a millenia. What will be the effects of that? All we're dealing with here is trying to stop the bleeding obvious runaway.
My personal view is that we should approach the Indian nation for advice on how to live relatively comfortably while using almost no energy, as was the case there until about 10 years ago.
One cow pat is all that is required to cook a meal for a whole family, and it is the ultimate low temp slow food - absolutely delicious. Don't laugh. Cow dung is just one thing we will have to learn to use, very soon. Dust off the bikes, there can not be any private cars, but instead limited public transport.
It seems to me that the only way we the people will be able to achieve a future for our children will be for us to somehow convince all the politicians in the world to join a war-time-like coalition government, as has frequently been done in individual countries in times of stress, only this time the entire population of the earth has to take part, and focus, and effect a mind-numbing degree of change in the almost zero time available.
While the US of A is the prime (but not only) cause of the extreme CO2 load, it is also probably the only nation that has the track record of extreme management skills required to do what needs doing in the time available.
We are at war.
With ourselves, and our gross habits.
I have said for 20 years that our grandchildren are going to rain curses on our/this generation.
If you had ever lived there you'd know that a beer belly isn't a beer thing, it's a testosterone bearing person's fat reserve storage area, just as mine are on the hips. (p.s. and most of them, certainly all that I met, are lovely people. Think total hospitality to strangers.)
. . . only in America . . .
Well. Now. *there's an intelligent well balanced informed comment for you.